COMMISSION DECISION

of 28 April 2006

on the eligibility of expenditure to be incurred by certain Member States in 2006 for the collection and management of the data needed to conduct the common fisheries policy

(notified under document number C(2006) 1704)

(Only the Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish texts are authentic)

(2006/315/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Decision 2000/439/EC of 29 June 2000 on a financial contribution from the Community towards the expenditure incurred by Member States in collecting data and for financing studies and pilot projects for carrying out the common fisheries policy(1), and in particular Article 4(3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Decision 2000/439/EC lays down the conditions whereby the Member States may receive a contribution from the Community for expenditure incurred in their national programmes as provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 1543/2000 of 29 June 2000 establishing a Community framework for the collection and management of the data needed to conduct the common fisheries policy(2). Under that decision the Commission, on the basis of the information provided by the Member States, decides each year on the eligibility of the expenditure forecast by the Member States and on the amount of the financial assistance from the Community.

(2) The Commission has received the annual submissions of the national programmes from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom that describe the data they intend to collect between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2006 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1543/2000. They have also submitted applications for a financial contribution for the expenditure referred to in Article 4 of Decision 2000/439/EC.

(3) Pursuant to Article 6 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1639/2001 of 25 July 2001 establishing the minimum and extended Community programmes for the collection of data in the fisheries sector and laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1543/2000(3), the Commission has examined Member States' national programmes for 2006 and has assessed the eligibility of the expenditures on the basis of those programmes. A first instalment should be delivered to the Member States concerned in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) of Decision 2000/439/EC on the basis of that assessment.

(4) A second instalment is to be forwarded, in 2007, following the transmission and acceptance by the Commission of a financial and technical report of activity detailing the state of completion of the aims set at the time of drawing-up the minimum and extended programmes, in accordance with Article 6(1)(b) of Decision 2000/439/EC and Article 6(2) of Regulation 1639/2001.

(5) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

This Decision establishes for 2006 the amount of the eligible expenditure for each Member State and the rates of the Community financial contribution for the collection and management of the data needed to conduct the common fisheries policy.

Article 2

Expenditure incurred in collecting and managing of the data needed to conduct the common fisheries policy, as set out in Annex I, shall qualify for a financial contribution from the Community not exceeding 50 % of the eligible expenditure for the minimum programme as provided for in Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1543/2000.

Article 3

Expenditure incurred in collecting and managing of the data needed to conduct the common fisheries policy, as set out in Annex II, shall qualify for a financial contribution from the Community not exceeding 35 % of the eligible expenditure for the extended programme as provided for in Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1543/2000.

Article 4

1. The Community shall pay a first instalment of 50 % of the financial contribution from the Community set out in Annexes I and II.

2. A second instalment shall be delivered in 2007, after the reception and approval of a financial and a technical report as provided for in Article 6(1)(b) of Decision 2000/439/EC.

Article 5

1. The euro exchange rate used to calculate the amounts eligible under this Decision shall be the rate in force in May 2005.

2. The expenditure declarations and applications for advances in national currency received from the Member States not participating in the third stage of economic and monetary union shall be converted into euro at the rate in force for the month in which those declarations and applications are received by the Commission.

Article 6

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Estonia, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, Ireland, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Malta, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Poland, the Portuguese Republic, the Republic of Slovenia, the Republic of Finland, the Kingdom of Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Done at Brussels, 28 April 2006.

For the Commission

Joe

BORG

Member of the Commission

(1)

OJ L 176, 15.7.2000, p. 42

. Decision as amended by Decision 2005/703/EC (

OJ L 267, 12.10.2005, p. 26

(2)

OJ L 176, 15.7.2000, p. 1

(3)

OJ L 222, 17.8.2001, p. 53

. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1581/2004 (

OJ L 289, 10.9.2004, p. 6

ANNEX I

Minimum programme

Member State	Eligible expenditure (EUR)	Max. Community contribution (EUR)
BELGIUM	1 014 257	507 129
DENMARK	4 299 000	2 149 500
GERMANY	2 444 531	1 222 265
ESTONIA	475 988	237 994
GREECE	1 620 845	810 423
SPAIN	6 510 667	3 255 334
FRANCE	6 613 877	3 306 939
IRELAND	4 524 442	2 262 221
ITALY	3 954 825	1 977 413
CYPRUS	589 866	294 933
LATVIA	317 073	158 536
LITHUANIA	122 691	61 346
MALTA	551 845	275 923
NETHERLANDS	3 026 346	1 513 173
POLAND	571 660	285 830
PORTUGAL	2 550 422	1 275 211
SLOVENIA	373 060	186 530
FINLAND	1 247 350	623 675
SWEDEN	2 709 795	1 354 898
UNITED KINGDOM	6 222 481	3 111 241
Total	49 741 021	24 870 511

ANNEX II

Extended programme

Member State	Eligible expenditure (EUR)	Max. Community contribution (EUR)
BELGIUM
DENMARK
GERMANY	544 246	190 486
ESTONIA	26 208	9 173
GREECE	215 350	75 373
SPAIN	1 842 106	644 737
FRANCE	339 500	118 825
IRELAND	371 426	129 999
ITALY	560 554	196 194
CYPRUS
LATVIA	5 364	1 878
LITHUANIA
MALTA
NETHERLANDS	435 762	152 517
POLAND	1 316	461
PORTUGAL	443 832	155 241
SLOVENIA
FINLAND	257 434	90 102
SWEDEN	81 518	28 531
UNITED KINGDOM	2 134 804	747 181
Total	7 259 420	2 540 798